Mechanism for release of paper sheets for stacking purpose

ABSTRACT

Feed mechanism for stacking printed paper sheets. The sheets are carried from the press between pivotal grippers on an endless conveyor entrained over at least one pulley. A movable slide having a cam surface is provided adjacent to the conveyor to engage the grippers and open the same at a precise point over the stack. Means are provided to reciprocate the slide so as to adjust the position of opening. The slide is provided with an arcuate member at its forward end and a connecting link. The arcuate member is provided with a segmented recess to receive the connecting link. The cam surface is thereby directly continued by the link and the arcuate member which is received in the recess when the cam is shortened.

United States Patent 1,244,536 10/1917 Peters et al.

Inventor Jaroslav Jiruse Blansko, Czechoslovakia Appl. No. 821,043

Filed May 1, 1969 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 Assignee Adamovske strojirny,narodni podnik Adamov, Czechoslovakia MECHANISM FOR RELEASE OF PAPERSHEETS Primary ExaminerJoseph Wegbreit Attorney-Richard Low ABSTRACT:Feed mechanism for stacking printed paper sheets. The sheets are carriedfrom the press between pivotal grippers on an endless conveyor entrainedover at least one pulley. A movable slide having a cam surface isprovided adjacent to the conveyor to engage the grippers and open thesame at a precise point over the stack. Means are provided toreciprocate the slide so as to adjust the position of opening. The slideis provided with an arcuate member at its forward end and a connectinglink. The arcuate member is provided with a segmented recess to receivethe connecting link. The cam surface is thereby directly continued bythe link and the arcuate member which is received in the recess when thecam is shortened.

PATENTED our 5 ml I INVENTOR v jaras/au' Ji'ruae MECHANISM FOR RELEASEOF PAPER SHEETS FOR STACKING PURPOSE The present invention relates topaper feed mechanisms and particularly to mechanisms for releasingprinted paper sheets onto stacking devices of printing machines.

In the course stacking of printed paper the sheets are removed from theprinting rollers by means of gripping mechanisms and transferred above astacking table. The grippers of the gripping mechanism are opened, sothat the transferred sheet is released and deposited on the stackingtable. The opening of the grippers and the releasing of the paper sheetsis controlled by a release mechanism which has to be adjusted fordifferent speeds and for different paper weight, in order to preventdamage to the paper edges when it strikes against the elements of thestacking device or against stop means.

One of the known devices for the release of paper sheets consists of twomutually engaging and cooperating cam elements, one of which is fixed,the other of which is slidable. By inserting or pulling out the slidableelement (i.e. varying it with respect to the fixed element), an earlieror later release of the paper sheets is achieved.

This mechanism has the drawback, that it requires an individual supportof both cam elements and a very rugged design. Thus it becomescomplicated and rather costly to manufacture.

Another known mechanism for the release of paper sheets comprises twomutually interconnected cam elements supported by bolts. The cam can berelatively adjusted to achieve an earlier or later release of papersheets. This, however, has the drawback, that by turning the camelements around bolts, not only the length, but also their height ischanged. In addition by adjustment of the cam elements the opening ofthe grippers is changed, making the possibility of a correct depositionof the paper sheets very complicated.

It is an object of this invention to provide a feed mechanism, whichwould allow an adjustment within wide limits of the position in whichthe paper sheets are released.

It is another object of this invention to provide a feed mechanism forthe intended purpose, where the height of the element causing opening ofthe grippers would remain fixed, so that the opening of the gripperswould remain fixed, so that the opening of the grippers near thestacking device would remain the same within the whole length, withinwhich the paper sheets can be released.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mechanism for therelease of paper sheets, which would operate satisfactorily at highprinting speeds.

It is still another object of this invention to create a mechanism whichis simple, reliable and of low cost for manufacture.

An additional object of this invention it to provide a feed mechanismfor use in both low and high-speed machines and particularly of amechanism by which the paper sheet is released close to a stop, or at afixed distance from such stop high printing speeds, so that it could beused in the first instance for printing machines using airbrakes and inthe second instance for printing machines without brakes.

The mechanism in accordance with this invention comprises a slide havinga release cam for engagement with gripper means, the release cam isguided in a direction parallel with the direction of supply of the papersheets and is linked by means of a connecting bridge with an eccentricarcuate member having a segment provided with a recess for shelteringsaid connecting bridge and a part of the slide. The apparatus includesmeans for adjusting the desired position of the slide.

Full details of the present invention are found in he followingdisclosure and in the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of view of the mechanism in extended position,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. I, where the mechanism isshortened,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism as shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 shows a detail of stacking of paper sheets.

As seen in the figure the mechanism comprises a release slide 1supported in sliding fashion by bolts or pins 2 and 3 fixed to the frame9 or other member of the machine. The release cam l is linked by meansof the pivot pin 4 with a connecting link bridge 5 which itself ispivoted by means of the bolt 6 to an eccentric cam 7. The arcuate member7 is provided with a segmented slot or recess 70 between its flat facesinto which the link 5 is movable (FIG. 2) and is rotatably supported,eccentric of its center, on a shaft 8, also fixed on the frame 9 of themachine. A rack 20 is provided on the upper part of the release slide 1meshing with an elongated pinion 10 supported by a sleeve 11 (see FIG.3) fixed in the machine frame 9. The reannost end 10a of pinion 10 isformed with a screw in cooperating engagement with a wonn 19a formed onthe extremity of a regulating rod 19, having thumbscrew of wrench end,rotatably supported on the external side of the machine frame 9. Thefixed position of the drive of the pinion 10 is maintained by theinteraction of worm and screw in adjusted position. The pinion may beprovided with friction washers 11a to make it self-locking. A camsurface 18 is arranged at the lower part of the slide 1 and engagementwith a roller 17, supported at the end of a lever 17a, fixed on theshaft of the pivotal gripper member 13 of the stacking device 12,represented by an endless chain, entrained over a pulley and which, asis conventional, pivotally supports a number of cooperating grippermembers 13 and 13a.

The described arrangement operates as follows:

Paper sheets 16 are supplied by the stacking device 12, the pulleys ofwhich may be mounted on shaft 8. The sheets are clamped between thegrippers and 13a and are dropped and stacked into a stack 14 wherebythey strike the end stop 15. When the roller 17 carried by the pivotingshaft, of the gripper member 13 reaches the cam surface 18 of the slide1, the gripper members 13 opens and the paper sheet 16 drops on thestack 14. The adjustment of the exact place where the paper sheet 16 isreleased is accomplished by turning the regulating rod 19 which causesrotation of the pinion 10 shifting the slide 1 together with theconnecting linking bridge 5. Thus the eccentric segment 7 is rotated. Alarge extent of adjustment can be made as the entire connecting bridge 5and a part of the slide 1 can enter a recess formed in the eccentricsegment 7. The difference between both extreme positions of the releasesurface 18 is therefore determined by the extent, i.e. how far theconnecting bridge 5 and a part of the release cam I can be sheltered inthe eccentric segment 7. The opening of the grippers l3 and 13a remainsconstant for any adjustment being relative only to the position of therelease surface 18. The connecting bridge 5 linking the release cam 1with the eccentric segment 7 prevents any interference of the extremityof the slide 1 with the operation of the grippers l3 and by extendingits length up to the eccentric segment 7 in all its positions. The flatedge between the cam surface 18 is extended by the edges of the bridginglink 5 and the eccentric segment 7 to form a continuous cam edge so thatthe grippers remain open after release of a sheet preventing anyinterference with the released paper or premature closing also preventsany possible repeated undesired gripping of an already released papersheet by a premature closing of the grippers 13. The present disclosureis illustrative only and its principles may be embodied in many formsand have many variations.

What is claimed is:

l. A feed mechanism for stacking printed paper sheets in a printingpress comprising an endless supply conveyor entrained over at lease onepulley at its forward end and carrying a plurality of gripperassemblies, each of which has at least one pivotable member adapted toreleasably secure a sheet; a movable slide mounted to reciprocatebetween a forward and rear position in a direction parallel to thedirection of said supply conveyor, said slide having a cam surfaceadapted to engage said pivotable gripper member to selectively close andopen the same; means for reciprocating said slide; an arcuate memberlocated at the forward end of saidconveyor, said arcuate member beingeccentrically mounted for rotation about an axis offset from its center;a connecting link pivotally secured to the forward end of said slide andadjacent the periphery of said arcuate member, said link having asurface forming a continuation of said cam surface with the surface ofsaid arcuate member; a segment of said arcuate member being formed witha recess adapted to receive said link on move ment thereof; whereby onreciprocation of said slide said link is adapted to enter into a recedefrom said recess to thereby adjust the length of said cam surface whilemaintaining said surface continuous about said arcuate member.

2. The mechanism according to claim 1 wherein an edge of said slide isformed with a rack, and the means for reciprocating said slide comprisea shaft having a pinion engaging said rack and means for rotating saidpinion.

3. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said arcuate member iseccentrically mounted about the shaft of said pulley.

4. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said slide comprises aflat member having the cam surface on one edge and the rack on its otheredge, said cam surface being shaped to open said gripper membersadjacent the forward end and to maintain them open on passage over thearcuate member.

1. A feed mechanism for stacking printed paper sheets in a printingpress comprising an endless supply conveyor entrained over at lease onepulley at its forward end and carrying a plurality of gripperassemblies, each of which has at least one pivotable member adapted toreleasably secure a sheet; a movable slide mounted to reciprocatebetween a forward and rear position in a direction parallel to thedirection of said supply conveyor, said slide having a cam surfaceadapted to engage said pivotable gripper member to selectively close andopen the same; means for reciprocating said slide; an arcuate memberlocated at the forward end of said conveyor, said arcuate member beingeccentrically mounted for rotation about an axis offset from its center;a connecting link pivotally secured to the forward end of said slide andadjacent the periphery of said arcuate member, said link having asurface forming a continuation of said cam surface with the surface ofsaid arcuate member; a segment of said arcuate member being formed witha recess adapted to receive said link on movement thereof; whereby onreciprocation of said slide said link is adapted to enter into a recedefrom said recess to thereby adjust the length of said cam surface whilemaintaining said surface continuous about said arcuate member.
 2. Themechanism according to claim 1 wherein an edge of said slide is formedwith a rack, and the means for reciprocating said slide comprise a shafthaving a pinion engaging said rack and means for rotating said pinion.3. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said arcuate member iseccentrically mounted about the shaft of said pulley.
 4. The mechanismaccording to claim 1, wherein said slide comprises a flat member havingthe cam surface on one edge and the rack on its other edge, said camsurface being shaped to open said gripper members adjacent the forwardend and to maintain them open on passage over the arcuate member.